Sunisa known as Suni Lee, an American artistic gymnast, has helped her country maintain the winning streak in Olympics after winning a gold medal in a Tokyo Olympic gymnastics all-around competition. 18-years old gymnast became the teenager is the sixth U.S. woman to secure the all-around title at the Olympic Games.
She made 57.433 for gold. The teenager has joined the group of U.S. greats Mary Lou Retton (1984), Carly Patterson (2004), Nastia Liukin (2008), Gabby Douglas (2012), and Simone Biles (2016) as the only U.S. women to secure the all-around title at the Olympic Games. Sunisa became the first Hmong American gymnast.
When Lee won the competition, she became emotional, and her eyes filled with tears. Lee immediately exchanged a big hug with her coach, Jess Graba. Biles and the other members of the U.S. team, seated in the stands on the opposite side of the stadium, entertained her with clapping.
If we look at her Tokyo journey, Lee’s journey is a bit different. Previously, just days before the national championships in 2019, her father, John, was partially paralyzed after tumbling from a ladder while slashing down a tree. Lee opted to go forward and participate in the competition, and she completed second to Biles.
But her father’s accident has been difficult not only for Lee but also for her entire family. Her father continues to use a wheelchair, and he and Lee’s mother and some of her siblings pushed from the Twin Cities to Fort Worth, Texas, and then St. Louis to observe her participate at the national championships and Olympic trials. This year, like all other families, Lee’s family has watched the competition from home and their daughter, making them proud by winning the gold medal.